Spišskí Rytieri – MKS Dabrowa Górnicza 94:92 ot (25:15, 13:18, 24:28, 22:23 – 10:8)
Referees: Stretea, Dragoi, Trofim
Attendance: 200
Scorers – Rytieri: Kigab 32, Pipkins 14, Lopez 13, Fusek, Hlivák and Smith each 8, Antoni 6, Reeves 5, Mrviš 0
Scorers – Gornicza: Garcia 26, Persons 25, Horne 18, Slupinski 9, Cabill Jr. 8, Wilczek 5, Konaszuk 1, Piechowicz and Ryzek 0
The home team started in front of the home crowd like from a big book, Kigab and Hlivák sent Rytieri into a 7:0 lead after 3 minutes. Górnicza, though coming in weakened, showed their quality when they pulled away from 2:9 to 9:11. The first quarter was in the home team’s control, helped by many returners to the lineup, and the result was 25:15. The second period was much more even, the Polish team was getting closer and closer and the home team shooting efficiency dropped a bit. Even so, they could be more satisfied after the first half, they won it 38:33.
The high and offensive pace continued in the second half, the home team kept the favorable score for a long time, but the guests waited for their opportunity and it came when they managed to take the lead. The home team didn’t panic, they answered quickly and before the last quarter they were leading 62:61. The latter brought a great fight on both sides for every ball and basket, the teams competed in big moments. The last minute was interesting from that perspective, as the visiting Persons put their team ahead 84:83 with 14 seconds left. Immediately after that, Lopez sank the first free throw but converted the second to tie the score at 84-84. The Poles could have decided the game with one last shot, but they missed their attempt and it went to overtime.
Coach Teo Hojc’s team had a greater desire to win, which was documented by Kigab’s converted shots. Just when it seemed to break Górnicza, the guests also hit the difficult positions and made the fight for the first victory in the A-group even more dramatic. 20 seconds before the end of the overtime the score was 92:92. Pipkins converted both free throws and the Poles missed their last attack, which made the home side very happy.
Post-game quotes:
Teo Hojč, coach of the Rytieri: “I think it was a very good game, especially from the fans’ point of view. We knew we were playing against a very good opponent from a very strong Polish league. We have a lot of respect for their team and their coach. We appreciate the win, but what is more important for us is that we improved our game. I would like to congratulate my players for their fighting performance and for not giving up. Yes, it wasn’t perfect and we made a lot of mistakes, but basketball is not just a perfect game. We were the successful team right now, and we have to be very grateful for that. I hope this win will move us in the right direction and give us the confidence in ourselves that we need so much. However, it is important to stay grounded, we cannot now think that we are anything more than we are. We still have a lot of work to do and on Sunday we have a tough game against Levice, who are defending the title and playing a level higher in European competition. Only with this approach can we think about a good result, which is our goal. Finally, I would like to add that I have a lot of respect for the coach of the visiting team, who showed a lot of guts with his decision to foul on the last attack and thus have the ball for the last attack, which I think showed his confidence in his team, for which I respect him a lot.”
Dalibor Hlivák, player of Rytieri: “We had to get back on our feet after a tough loss in Austria, where we didn’t play good basketball. We knew that Dabrowa Górnicza has a very good team. Both teams fought hard. I think everyone who came to the sports hall saw a physical and very interesting game. We hit shots in the first half, but we let them get back into the game easily. It was a battle in the second half and I’m happy we won this game.”
Boris Balibrea, coach of Górnicza: “First of all congratulations to Spišská Nová Ves, they played a very good match and deserved to win. They fought and made us a lot of problems. On the other hand, I am very proud of our players for their game and their fight. It was a tough game for us, we didn’t convert many easy baskets, especially at the beginning of the game. We were missing four key players, which showed in our shortened rotation, especially at the end of the game. We made a lot of mistakes in important moments of the game that gave our opponents an advantage. We need to improve for the next matches, hoping to play with a full squad even with the currently injured players.”
Dawid Slupinski, player of Górnicza: “The match was very tough, especially physically. The home team deserved to win. They hit their shots, unlike us and we missed free 3-pointeers, which was the main reason for our loss. The game ended up going to overtime in the end, and I hope the fans enjoyed this very interesting drama. It was very evenly matched, it was a battle and I would also like to thank our fans who came out and cheered us on. A well deserved home win, congratulations and I´m looking forward to the match at home in Dabrowa Gornicza.”
